Aemistead m



(No Model.)

A. M. DARRELL.

Liquid Stamp Ca'nceling Device.

Na. 248,221. 4latenfed June 21,1881.

L l I l L WITNESSES I 'INVENTOR ATTURNE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARMISTEAD M. DARRELL, OF WASHINGTON, D. O., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER M. KENADAY, OF SAME PLAOE.

LIQUID STAMP-CANCELING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent No. 243,221, dated June 21, 1881.

Application filed June 2, 1880. (No model.)

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, ARMIsTnAD M. DAR- RELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington city, in the District of Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovement in Stamp -Ganceling Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others 'skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had io the accompanying drawings, an'd to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvcd means for indelibly canceling stamps by the application of a liquid which will chemically act on the coloring-matter upon the face of the stamp, and upon the fiber or material of the stamp itself, to completely discolor the one and con` sume or destroy the other; and it consists in the device hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved device; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the same; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the dropper-tube valve and rubber cushion detached.

The handle A is of suitable shape to be conveniently grasped by the hand, and is made hollow to form a reservoir, A', to hold a quantity of liquid. The lower end of the handle is covered 'by a screw-cap, B, provided with a packing, b, between it and the handle, and formed with double cylindrical walls B' B2, between which is secured a ring of sheet-rubber, the edge of which will project a sufticient distance from the cylinders B' B2 to form an anlnnlar cushion, O, for the face of the stamp.

a valve, F, that covers the upper end of the tube E, and is perm anently secured to the middle part of the needle G, the lower end of which passes down through the dropper-tube E, and projects slightly from its end, so that when the face of the stamp is pressed against an object 5 5 the needle Will be pushed up into the tube and the valve will be lifted from its seat to allow the liquid to flow into the tube from the reservoir. The upper end of the needle G is enveloped by a coiled spring, H, and is held in place, but allowed to slide freely in a Vertical position by plates I, secured at their ends to the upper face of the cap-plate B. The spring H is interposed between the plates I and the valve, and encircles the needle G, and serves to hold the valve upon its seat and to restore it to position when it has been raiscd by the needle.

By the means above describedalimited quantity only of the liquid will be deposited at each blow struck upon the face of the stamp, so that there will be no (lan ger of floodin g or smearin g the face of the envelope by the use of the stam p. The space between the rubber and tube is filled with cotton or other absorbent materiahl), that acts as a blotter upon the liquid dropped from the tube to properly spread it over theface of the stamp.

The rescrvoir is filled with a solution having such chemical properties as to so act upon the colored ink, or upon the fiber of the paper composing the stamp, that it will either totally change the color of the ink or destroy the fabric of the paper.

In some inks it is necessary to use an alkali, and in others an acid is required to permanen ti y change the color of theface of the stamp. When an alkali is employed a solution of soda, potash, or ammonia will answer a good purpose, and when an acid is to be used a vegetable acid is preferably employed, such as acetic, 'tartaric, or oxalic acid.

When the surface to be acted upon is of such refractory nature that weaksolutions will not aft'ect it, a diluted solution of sulphuric acid 9 5 may bc employed, which will completely destroy the texture or surface of any fibrous material.

Although the above solutions are enumer- I rial, the stern of the valve projeoting beyond ated, I do not eon fine myself to the use of them, as other chemical agents may be employed, and the stalnp itself may be used with any fiuid as a stamp-eaneeler, or for similar use, without departing from my inventiou.

I elaim as myinventon and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A stamp-eanceling device consisting of a reservoir-handle, A, and a eap, B, provided with a dropper-tube, a spring-aetuated valve, and a recess filled with brous blotting matethe outer end of the tube, so that on striking the device upon the face of a stamp a limited quantity of liquid to destroy the stalnp is deposited thereon and spread,substantia11y as desoribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARMISTEAD M. DARRELL. Vitnesses:

WM. H. ROWE, A. G. HEYLMUN. 

